High-SchoolNew-York: St. Raymond

Momentum can be a powerful thing come playoff time. Boys & Girls showed that much during the last two weeks. After avenging two earlier losses to Jefferson with a win in the PSAL Class AA championship, the Kangaroos downed St. Raymond before bouncing defending champ Mount Vernon, 66-60, in the Federation Class AA title game.

Behind Leroy Fludd's 26 points, Boys & Girls won its first-ever Federation crown and Ruth Lovelace became the first woman to lead a boys' team to a Federation title. And with that, the Kangaroos re-enter the POWERADE FAB 50 rankings at No. 50.

2. Mount Vernon 23-3 (1)Knights' bid for a second-straight Federation Class AA crown fell short with a 66-60 loss to the Boys & Girls in the title game.

3. Jefferson (Brooklyn) 25-7 (3)Orange Wave had their best season ever, winning their first Brooklyn Borough title and reaching the PSAL Class AA title game before falling to eventual champ Boys a Girls.

St. Raymond begin the season with plenty of hope and potential, boasting a two-headed monster in Kerwin Okoro and Daniel Dingle. But the regular season had its ups and downs, with a seeming inability to beat the power teams like Christ the King, Cardinal Hayes and several out-of-state foes. But when it counted, the Ravens pulled it together, winning their last six games to capture the CHSAA Class AA intersectional crown.

Okoro (21 points, 10 rebounds, six blocks) and Dingle (11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists) led the way in a 66-58 win against Holy Cross, vaulting the Ravens into the Federation tournament. They will await the winner of Jefferson and Boys & Girls, who have met four times before this season. Jefferson has won the last two in comeback fashion, but Boys & Girls has been impressive in the playoffs.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Mount Vernon 21-1 (1)The Knights moved on to their second straight Class AA final four with a 98-44 win against Middletown. Isaiah Cousins led four players in double figures with 22 points along with eight rebounds, four assists, five steals and two blocks. Next up: CBA-Albany in Saturday's semifinals.

2. Jefferson (Brooklyn) 25-6 (2)Orange Wave again showed their resilience as they rallied back against Wings Academy for a 72-68 win. Next up: Boys a Girls in the PSAL Class AA final on Saturday.

3. Boys & Girls (Brooklyn) 23-6 (3)The Kangaroos easily downed Lincoln to move on to the PSAL Class AA final, where they will face Jefferson for the fourth time this season.

A roller-coaster season for Christ the King ended much earlier than most expected, as the Royals fell to Mount St. Michael in the CHSAA Class AA quarterfinals. The loss ended a run of six straight trips to the intersectional final as well as the storied career of all-time leading scorer Omar Calhoun.

Mount St. Michael, which was led by 30 points from Malik Gill, will look to continue its run against Holy Cross in the semifinals, with the winner facing either Cardinal Hayes or St. Raymond.

The final four in the PSAL Class AA bracket is just as intriguing, with the favorite Jefferson going up against a streaking Wings Academy, while Lincoln and Boys & Girls will once again renew their rivalry.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Mount Vernon 20-2 (1)Knights won their seventh straight Section 1 Class AA championship with a rout of Mahopac. After a bye, the Knights will face either Binghamton or Middletown in Friday's regional finals.

The past week provided some outcomes that could be telling for the future, like Christ the King falling to an upstart Holy Cross team in the Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan tournament and St. Raymond avenging two earlier losses to Cardinal Hayes with a win in the Archdiocesan tournament.

But of course, while history has its place, come playoff time, it's all about the now. Thomas Jefferson is the hottest team in the state, Lincoln hopes to end its recent skid now that star sophomore Isaiah Whitehead is back, Mount Vernon is relying on its experience and Boys & Girls has been known to make its most noise in the postseason. Only time will tell.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Mount Vernon 18-2 (1)Knights overcame foul trouble with its two biggest stars (Isaiah Cousins and Jarrel Marshall) to down New Rochelle 74-59 in the Class AA quarterfinals. Next up: Clarkstown South on Friday.

3. Boys & Girls (Brooklyn) 20-6 (4)As was the case the last two years when they won the city title, the Kangaroos are seeded second as they begin play in the PSAL Class AA playoffs against Gompers on Wednesday.

About two weeks ago, following a 38-point loss to Mater Dei (Calif.) in front of a national TV audience, some may have written off Christ the King, which had lost two of its last three. But in one swift weekend, the Royals reminded everyone of the potential surrounding last year's Federation runner-up.

UConn-bound Omar Calhoun put on a show, pouring in 33 points during a road victory against St. Raymond before dropping 27 in a win against Cardinal Hayes. The result was the top ranking in this week's state rankings and critical momentum as the playoffs loom. Led by Calhoun's 24.6 points per game, the Royals boast two other double-digit scorers in three-point specialist Jon Severe (12.8) and junior Isaiah Lewis (11.2).

While CTK is on the rise, Lincoln hopes it can avoid a great fall. The Railsplitters enter the Brooklyn Borough playoffs without their best player, Isaiah Whitehead, who is expected to sit out the tournament with an ankle injury. Lincoln showed it can excel without their super sophomore by securing a few wins while Whitehead sat out with injury and eligibility issues.

Meanwhile, Jefferson continues its rise, winning four games last week, including a 95-92 overtime decision against Boys & Girls to clinch its first ever Brooklyn Borough AA title. Thaddeus Hall went off in the win with 30 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Christ the King (Middle Village) 15-6 (9)Royals vaulted up to No. 1 after Omar Calhoun dropped 33 points in a win against St. Raymond and 27 in a victory against No. 6 Cardinal Hayes. Next up: St. Francis Prep on Tuesday.

Jamesville-DeWitt lost to nationally ranked Milton (Ga.) by 41 points. Christ the King followed up a third-place showing over the weekend at the Bass Pro Tournament in Missouri with a 38-point loss to Mater Dei (Calif.) during Monday's Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts. Aquinas Institute fell just short of upsetting nationally ranked Chester (Pa.). And St. Raymond has now lost three straight games, dropping the Ravens out of this week's rankings.

After all the dust settled, Mount Vernon emerged unblemished, winning four games to move to 29th in the latest POWERADE FAB 50.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Mount Vernon (St. Ursula) 9-1 (1)Knights capped a 4-0 week with a win against Cardozo. Next up is a test at the Montverde Invitational in Florida on Jan. 26.

2. Lincoln (Brooklyn) 15-3 (2)The Railsplitters looked impressive in a Saturday win against No. 4 Boys & Girls before being stunned by Jefferson in league play on Tuesday.

Lost in in St. Raymond's defeat at the hands of Garner (N.C.) in North Carolina's HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational final was that star forward Daniel Dingle missed the game with a shoulder injury. So it's no coincidence that with the senior's return, the Ravens scored two big wins against national powers Paul VI (Va.), in which he had 21 points and 15 boards, and Trinity (Ky.). A similar effort will be needed come Friday, when St. Raymond faces an in-state foe in Cardinal Hayes, which has won three straight.

Don't be surprised to see many of the state's stars come out this week, as an intriguing set of games is on slate.

On Wednesday, undefeated rivals Bishop Kearney and Aquinas Institute will face off in front of a packed house at Aquinas. On Saturday, Lincoln and Boys & Girls will meet up in a battle that could shake up the rankings. And on Monday, Christ the King stands to move up the rankings should it be able to down Mater Dei (Calif.), ranked No. 22 in the POWERADE FAB 50, at the HoopHall Classic in Massachusetts. The 5 p.m. contest will be televised on ESPNU.

Here are this week rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Mount Vernon 4-1 (2)Knights sit at No. 30 in the POWERADE FAB 50 and are undefeated in the state of New York.